How Hamsters See the World | Know About Hamsters Eyesight

Hamsters have a peculiar way to see their surroundings. In fact, it is quite interesting to learn how hamsters see the world. 

Unlike other animals, hamsters have been near-sighted from the beginning of their life. Along with that, they are almost color blind, and also can not see in the broad daylight and in the dark. 

But why does this happen? In this article, you will learn everything about how hamsters see the world, and why they see it this way.

How Do Hamsters View the World?

Hamsters have different viewing techniques than other animals. Because of poor eyesight, they do not see that well and recognize their owners’ faces too. 

Like humans get myopia, a condition when they get near-sighted, chipmunks have them from the very beginning of their life. But they have an advantage on the other way. Chipmunks can hear very well and smell strongly with their tiny nose.

Now, chipmunks have some important factors which we need to include for you to understand how they see the world. 

Poor Eyesight

Chipmunks do not have the luck of having good eyesight like other rodent animals. So, they need to use their other senses to move forward better.

Instead of having good eyesight, they have good hearing instincts, and smelling instincts. That is how they can find their owner well.

If we compare a hamster’s vision with an average human, it will be equivalent to 10/200 vision. This means they can only see something very close to their eyes. 

Color Blindness

Hamsters are kind of color blind. The most common color they can see is green. Other colors are not that much seeable by hamsters.
But it is not applicable to every hamster. Some can see other colors like reds and yellow sometimes too. Even Siberian hamsters can see a few ultraviolet parts and blue color too.

Unable to See in Darkness

This is one of the biggest disadvantages of hamsters. They do not see an inch in the dark. This happens because hamsters’ eye contains 97% rods and 3% of cone pigments in the retina. Now, rods are known as black and white receptors. 

So, it is impossible for hamsters to see in a totally dark place. But if the place has a dim light, they can see better than humans. 

Why Do Hamsters Have Poor Eyesight?

There is a system of how light goes into human eyes. Normally, hamsters do not have the same system as we do. 

Their eyes may be less spherical than what humans have. This reduces their focus on an object system. 

As the distance between the cornea and retina of a hamster differs a lot, so they get an unfocused view. This led them to have a fuzzy vision. 

Now that you know all about how hamsters see the world, do you know if a guinea pig or a hamster is better? There are major differences between them, which is a concerning matter.

If you’re interested in learning more about hamster health and vision, you might find our articles on why hamsters die easily and whether a hamster can survive with a tumor helpful. Our article on why hamsters die easily examines the common health issues that hamsters face, and what you can do to prevent and treat them. Meanwhile, our article on whether a hamster can survive with a tumor provides information on the different types of tumors that can affect hamsters, and the prognosis and treatment options available. Check out these articles to learn more about keeping your hamster healthy and happy, and to gain a better understanding of their health and senses.

FAQs

1. What Does a Hamster’s Vision Look Like?

Hamsters have a wide angle of vision. When they see in the morning or dark night, they almost see nothing. They totally depend on their instinct, sound, and smell.

But they have better vision in dim light. In fact, they see better than humans in dim light.

2. What Do Hamsters Think of Us?

As hamsters are nocturnal and shy, they become the first-time pets for young children and pet-derived folks of every age. 

But this is a matter of fact to know that they like both affections and want to thrive on humans.

3. Can a Hamster See People?

Normally, in broad daylight, and on dark nights, they most probably can not see people. This happens because of their poor vision. 

When you see a hamster is socializing with you, that means he had already learned about your smell properly and heard your voice a lot.

Final Words

Hamsters are cute, adorable, and lovely to-see rodents. As we know how we see the world, this is a curious thing to learn how hamsters see the world too. 

You may sometimes feel like the hamster you are trying to pet is running away from you because of fear. That is partially true, but it is actually they can not see you properly.

As a pet lover, you should take special care of hamsters for their poor eyesight to save them from unexpected events.